This is Adelle Francoise Soopramanian, my beloved second niece, first god child and most adorable little lady I have had the pleasure of knowing and loving. She was born to my sister Helen Marie and her partner Benjamin Soopramanian on the 12th June 2007. I remember the day Helen started having contractions like it was yesterday. We were outside on the veranda playing monopoly and laughing away when she felt the pains, but we kept playing knowing it would be a long while before the time would arrive. That night as Mum and I slept peacefully, she was admitted and the next afternoon, I was picked up from school to go and see my new niece. I was the proudest aunty ever, and so pleased to be chosen as Marenn. 

Less than 6 months later, we had to say our first goodbye to our little princess, because her parents were moving to Australia in pursuit of education.  It was a bittersweet moment but we know we would see each other again. We kept in touch somehow nearly every week and somehow Adelle never forgot who I was. It was with horrendous shock that we received a text and email from Helen October 2012 whilst I was in Manipal, India in my second year of med school saying that she had been diagnosed with brain cancer. Not any brain cancer, but one of the most aggressive of pediatric brain tumours called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.

Since then, Adelle and her parents have been through so much even I cannot describe it, with driving back and forth to Perth for radiotherapy, long hospital stays, scans, multiple blood tests and much more. There have been good times and the not so great ones and I followed all this through my sister's updates. Last year I went for a visit and saw for myself as her mother tried to get her to eat even half a plate of food in vain. Nevertheless, Adelle was such an angel, taking it all in without a word of complaint but a smile for everybody and always a story to tell.  About two months later, her doctors found her tumour to be growing back and stopped all treatment. With the nasty side effects of the drugs no longer at hand, she flourished, regaining her appetite, and the joys of being a normal 6 year old. Now she seems to be taking a turn for the worse, and we all pray she and her parents can face the rest of this bumpy road with the same strength and courage they have demonstrated thus far.

This blog  is dedicated to Adelle, from your Marenn who loves you very much, and for my big sister Helen, whose resolve and strength has been a source of inspiration, to her father Ben and to everyone who know and love Adelle.